Forms: 6 tryple, (treeple), 7 tripill, 7–8 (9 U.S.) tripple, 6– triple. [a. F. triple (16th c. in Godef., Compl.), or ad. L. triplus, a. Gr. τριπλοῦς, = L. triplex threefold.]
1. Consisting of three members, things, or sets combined; threefold; = TREBLE a. 1.
1551–2. in Feuillerat, Revels Edw. VI. (1914), 78. One sute of tryple aparrell of whighte satten.
1587. Harrison, England, III. viii., in Holinshed, I. 233/1. The triple tillage of an acre dooth cost 13 shillings foure pence before the saffron be set.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. i. (Arb.), 78. The Philosopher gathers a triple proportion,… the Arithmeticall, the Geometricall, and the Musicall.
c. 1620. T. Robinson, M. Magd., 1132. There stood ye Monarche of this tripple Isle.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VI. 563. The triple porter of the Stygian sound, Grim Cerberus.
1776. Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), II. 266. A triple thorn beneath the buds.
1847. Grote, Greece, II. xxiii. III. 536. The trireme or war-ship with a triple bank of oars.
1874. H. H. Cole, Catal. Ind. Art S. Kens. Mus., 127. Triple rows of chains.
2. Having three applications or relations; existing or occurring in three ways or characters; of three kinds; = TREBLE a. 1 b.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., VII. (1603), 79 b. By triple Hecats holy Rites.
1587. T. Norton’s Calvin’s Inst., IV. xii. § 15. 414, margin. [There is] a triple vse of fasting.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxxi. 187. From hence there ariseth a triple Word of God,… to which Correspondeth a triple Hearing.
1675. Baxter, Cath. Theol., II. VIII. 173. The Sun … whose triple Influx Motion, Light, and Heat, affecteth all things.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. i. 10. Their choice was triple.
3. Three times as much or many; of three times the measure or amount; multiplied by three.
1550. Crowley, Last Trump., 955. If any man do the desyre Him to defend in doinge wronge, Though he woulde geue the triple hire, Yet geue none care unto his songe.
1557. Recorde, Whetst., E iij. For .9. is triple to .3: and .12. is triple to .4.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. (1634), 478. Great conquests are won to repay the charges of Warre with triple interest.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, I. 169. The quantity should not be less than triple the weight of the solids consumed.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., 195. The detached figure … shews a part of the top of the wall … to a triple scale.
1806. Hutton, Course Math., I. 344. Each pyramid is the third part of the prism, or the prism is triple of the pyramid.
† 4. That is one of three; third. Obs. rare.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. i. 111. One [receipt] which … He bad me store vp, as a triple eye, Safer then mine owne two. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., I. i. 12. You shall see in him (The triple Pillar of the world) transform’d Into a Strumpets Foole.
5. Special collocations.
Triple alliance, an alliance of three states or powers, esp. that of England, Sweden, and the Netherlands in 1668, of France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands in 1717, and of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy in 1883; also transf. Triple bagger, a triple in baseball. Triple bob major, app. an error for treble bob major: see BOB sb.5 Triple change (Bell-ringing), one in which three pairs of bells change places. Triple counterpoint, three-part counterpoint in which the parts may be interchanged without breaking the rules. Triple crown, a threefold crown; spec. (a) the papal tiara; also, a heraldic bearing representing this = TIARA 2 b; (b) in horse-racing, the winning of the three races known as the ‘Two Thousand Guineas,’ the ‘Derby,’ and the ‘St. Leger’ (also attrib.). Triple entente (Fr.), an understanding as to political action between three powers. Triple first, at Cambridge University, a first class in three triposes; also, one who obtains this. Triple fugue (Mus.), a fugue having three subjects. Triple gown: see quot. † Triple grass, the genus Trifolium. Triple hat, the papal tiara. † Triple Lady’s traces, a species of orchid with three tubers. Triple line, plane, point (Geom.), a line, plane, or point formed by the coincidence of three lines, planes, or points. Triple phosphate (Chem.), phosphate of ammonium and magnesium. Triple pit (Mining), a shaft divided into three compartments lengthwise: see quot. Triple plane: see triple line. Triple play, in baseball, play in which three men are put out. Triple point (Geom.), a point common to three branches of a curve, or at which the curve has three tangents: see triple line. † Triple progression (Mus.): see quot. † Triple proportion: = triple ratio. Triple quartan (ague), a quartan ague in which the paroxysms occur in sets of three. Triple ratio, the ratio of three to one. Triple rime (rhyme): see RHYME sb. 3 c (but in quot. 1872 = TERZA RIMA). Triple rhythm (Mus.), a threefold rhythm consisting of one heavy and two light accents or beats. Triple salt (Chem.), a salt containing three different bases. Triple screw, a screw having three consecutive threads of the same pitch (Cent. Dict., 1891). Triple star, a treble star (see TREBLE a. 3). Triple suspension (Mus.): see quot. Triple tail, a fish, Lobotes surinamensis, in which the dorsal and anal fins are extended so as to resemble tails. Triple tertian (ague): cf. triple quartan. Triple time (Mus.), a rhythm of three beats in the bar; also compound triple time (see COMPOUND a. 2). Triple unite: see UNITE. Also TRIPLE TREE.
1668. Temple, Lett., xv. (1699), 56. Monsieur de Witt: Who, he said, hindred them from being received into the *Triple-Alliance.
1715. Addison, Drummer, V. i. (1722), 39. But here comes the Triple-Alliance [three Rogues].
1799. Monthly Rev., XXX. 528. This design … gave rise to the Triple alliance … to support the treaty of Utrecht.
1868. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 18. A triple commercial and political alliance between France, Belgium, and Holland.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 26 Oct., 2/3. The alleged renewal of the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
1879. Saint Paul Globe, 26 Jan., 3/5.
| No longer seize the springy ash | |
| And nerved to do or die | |
| Hit for a *triple-bagger hard, | |
| To perish on a fly. |
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb. (1861), 42. The bells … rang a *triple bobmajor on the joyful occasion.
a. 1845. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Wedding-day, 94. The blithe ‘College Youths’ … Accustomed, for years, to pull bell-ropes for wagers, Rang faster than ever; their ‘triple-bob-majors.’
1872. Ellacombe, Ch. Bells Devon, iii. 232. After 1677 … Stedman … appears to have introduced the method of double and *triple changes.
1869. Ouseley, Counterp., xvii. 134. *Triple and quadruple counterpoints … consist of three or four melodies so interwoven that any of them may become a correct bass to the others.
1875. Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms, Triple counterpoint, a counterpoint in three parts, so contrived that each part will serve for bass, middle, or upper part as required.
1555. Eden, Decades, 226. A *triple crowne much lyke the popes.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. iii. 66. I would the Colledge of the Cardinalls Would chuse him Pope, and carry him to Rome, And set the Triple Crowne upon his Head.
1624. Bedell, Lett., iv. 78. In one scutchion with the crosse Keyes and triple crown in the crest.
1780, 1894. [see TIARA sb. 2 b].
a. 1854. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Hist., viii. (1855), 272. The triple crown of the papacy.
1897. Daily News, 7 Sept., 5/1. What the sporting prophets love to call the ‘triple crown,’… the Two Thousand, the Derby, and the St. Leger.
1901. Daily Chron., 20 July, 9/1. The triple-crown winner stood a sound 6 to 4 on chance.
1914. Times, 5 Aug., 7/4. First came the Franco-Russian Alliance, and later on the Anglo-French, and the Anglo-Russian agreements, which paved the way for the diplomatic group known as the *Triple Entente.
1876. Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms, s.v. Fugue, Fugues have been divided … By number of subjects; as a double fugue, having two subjects; a *triple fugue, three subjects, &c.
1834. Tait’s Mag., I. 720/2. The double or *triple gowns (the Judges with the double and triple salaries).
1562. Bulleyn, Bulwark, Bk. Simples (1579), 32. Trifolium, called the three leaued grasse. [margin] *Triple grasse.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, iv. (1858), 285. You with your tiaras, *triple-hats,… stand on Devil’s Lie, and are not so strong!
1611, 1785. *Triple Ladies traces [see LADY’S TRACES].
1857. G. Bird’s Urin. Deposits (ed. 5), 276. The *triple phosphate which is precipitated artificially from urine … is a neutral salt.
1899. Cagney, trans. Jaksch’s Clin. Diagn., vii. (ed. 4), 388. It [urine] deposits on standing a more or less abundant deposit of fat-laden and swollen leucocytes and triple-phosphate crystals.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 970. A shaft is to be divided into three compartments, one for the engine pumps, and two for raising coals,… which is denominated a *triple pit.
1896. Knowles & Morton, Baseball, 103. *Triple play, a play in which the ball is handled quickly enough to retire three men.
1873. B. Williamson, Diff. Calc. (ed. 2), xiv. § 209. If the lowest terms in the equation of a curve be of the third degree, the origin is a *triple point.
1801. Busby, Dict. Mus., *Triple Progression, an expression in old music, implying a series of perfect fifths.
1557. Recorde, Whetst., C j. Proportion … Doble, *Triple, Quadriple.
a. 1696. Scarburgh, Euclid (1705), 180. 12 compared to 4 is Multiple Proportion, and named triple.
1625. Hart, Anat. Ur., II. v. 79. I went to a Canon who lay sicke of a *triple Quartane ague.
1727–38, 1866. *Triple rhyme [see RHYME sb. 3 c].
1872. Lowell, Dante, Prose Wks. 1890, IV. 158. In the form of the verse (triple rhyme) we may find an emblem of the Trinity.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., I. 248. When the quantity of ammonia corresponds with that of the nitrate of magnesia necessary to form a *triple salt, the precipitation is then checked.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 886. Triple salts, a name sometimes applied to salts containing three different bases, such as microcosmic salt.
1831. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 7), IV. 47/1. M. Struve has also taken notice of 52 *triple stars.
1876. Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms, s.v. Suspension, Two suspended notes form a double suspension; three a *triple suspension, and so on.
1803. Shaw, Gen. Zool., IV. 80. The tail … appears as if composed of three distinct parts,… hence the name of Triurus, or *Triple-Tail, applied to this fish by Commerson.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 148. The ‘Flasher’ or ‘Triple-tail’ … is spoken of by various authors as the ‘Black Triple-tail.’
1822–34. Good’s Study Med. (ed. 4), I. 607. The fifth species [of ague] consisting of double tertians, *triple tertians, unequal tertians, duplicate tertians.
1662. Playford, Skill Mus., I. viii. (1674), 28. Pricks of Perfection are used for perfecting Notes, and are only used in the *Triple-Time.
1749. [J. Mason], Numbers in Poet. Comp., 74. If … we banish our slow Tunes, and sing only Triple-Time Tunes to pure Iambic Measure.
1889. F. Taylor, in Grove, Dict. Mus., IV. 174/1. When a bar of triple time consists of two notes only the accent is always on the longer note.
B. adv. To three times the amount or extent; in a threefold manner; triply; thrice. See also C. 2.
1606–1897. [see C. 2].
1641. in Cochran-Patrick, Rec. Coinage Scotl. (1876), I. Introd. 31. Coining of the Stirling coper monie … could not have been done the ordinare way for triple more charges.
1643. R. Baillie, Lett. & Jrnls. (1841), II. 71. Triple more already than ever was taught in Scotland.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., iii. 85. If we had double or triple as many.
C. Combinations.
1. The adjective in combination. a. Parasynthetic combs., as triple-arched, -barbed, -bodied, -colored, -crested, -crowned, -edged, -formed, -gemmed, -hatted, -lived, -nerved, -piled, -rayed, -ribbed, -stranded, -throated, -towered, -turreted; triple-awned, in triple-awned grass, = three-awned (THREE B. III. 2). Also TRIPLE-HEADED.
1906. Daily News, 4 Sept., 6. The construction of the *triple-aisled nave [of Strassburg Cathedral].
1819. Keats, Eve St. Agnes, xxiv. A casement high and *triple-arch’d there was.
1848. Buckley, Iliad, 204. Wounding him on the shoulder with a *triple-barbed arrow.
1905. Daily Chron., 22 Sept., 1/7. He is now in a cell *triple-barred and double-locked.
1840. Browning, Sordello, I. 201. The *triple-bearded Teuton come to life!
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, D d j. The *triple-bodied Pluto.
1728. Pope, Dunc., II. 248. At some sick miser’s *triple-bolted gate.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., XIV. x. (1864), IX. 358. The *triple-chorded harmony of faith, holiness, and charity.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 140. *Triple-coloured tortoises.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 895.
| When he brings | |
| Over the Earth a Cloud, will therein set | |
| His triple-colour’d Bow, whereon to look | |
| And call to mind his Cov’nant. |
1717. Fenton, Odyss., XI. Poems 126. To drag to light the *triple-crested Dog That guards Hell’s massy Portal.
1679. Bedloe, Popish Plot, Ep. A j b. Their *Tripple Crown’d Idol at Rome.
1776. Da Costa, Conchology, 21. A *triple-edged spear or sword.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. II. Magnificence, 921. A great Cornaline, Where some rare Artist … Hath deeply cut Time’s *triple-formed Front.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, iv. (1858), 286. A black spectral Nightmare and *triple-hatted Chimera.
1709–10. Steele, Tatler, No. 118, ¶ 1. To deal with them as Evander did with his *triple-lived Adversary.
1811. trans. Willdenow’s Botany (new ed.), § 42. A leaf is said to be … *Triple-nerved…, when out of the side of the middle rib above the base there arises a nerve running towards the point.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 830. On *triple-piled Throne-velvets sit at ease to bless the poor.
1847. Ld. Lindsay, Chr. Art, I. 124. Our Saviour is represented … distinguished by the *triple-rayed nimbus.
1847. W. E. Steele, Field Bot., 47. Root-leaves crowded … petals rounded, *triple-ribbed.
1629. Ford, Lover’s Mel., IV. ii. The dog, whose *triple-throated noise Hath rous’d a lion from his uncouth den.
1611. Cotgr., Fourchier à trois dents, a *triple-toothed forke.
c. 1828. Berry, Encycl. Her., I. Gloss. s.v. Triple, *Triple-towered gate, double-leaved.
a. 1500. in Baring-Gould & Twigge, West. Armory (1898), 3. Barnestaple Towne: Arg: a *triple turreted tower gul: betweene 3 ogresses.
b. in combination with sbs., forming adjectives or attributive phrases, as triple-compartment, -cylinder, -expansion (see EXPANSION 7), -hearth, -line, -lock, -rack, -shift, -wick; triple-screw, having three screw-propellers.
1882. Rep. to Ho. Repr. Prec. Met. U. S., 293. The main working shaft, which is *tripple compartment.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Triple-cylinder engine, a steam-engine employing three cylinders.
1886. Pall Mall G., 21 Sept., 13/2. These steamers … are provided with *triple expansion engines.
1893. J. A. Hodges, Elem. Photogr. (1907), 17. The *‘triple-extension’ type [of camera].
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 339. The Bennett Mill carries ten stamps, six *triple-hearth reverberatory roasting-furnaces [etc.].
1889. Rider Haggard, K. Solomon’s Mines, 220. The Greys filed off in a *triple-line formation.
1895. Daily News, 14 March, 5/5. The ticket will be dropped in a *triple-lock box.
1892. Photogr. Ann., II. 545. Large size (patent) *triple-rack telescopic front tubes.
1901. Daily Mail, 30 Oct., 5/3. A series of six *triple-screw 14,865 ton battleships.
1892. Photogr. Ann., 11. Advt. *Triple Wick Lamps,… Four Wick Lamps.
2. The adverb in combination. a. with pa. pples. or adjs., as triple-compound, -compounded, -dyed, -endowed, -refined, -roomed, -turned, -twined.
1897. Daily News, 14 June, 6/6. Two sets of *triple-compound engines, each self-contained.
1775. Adair, Amer. Ind., 69. A double, or *triple-compounded [word].
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. II. Magnificence, 729. Their long strong sarcels, richly *triple-di’d Gold-Azure-Crimsin.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 130. d *triple-refined taste.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, XV. xxvi. 566. The arke … had roomes aboue those vpper roomes, and so was called *triple-roomed, being three stories high.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., IV. xii. 13. *Triple-turn’d Whore, ’tis thou Hast sold me to this Nouice.
1804. J. Collins, Scripscrap., xi. Bath deems a *triple-twin’d Laurel thy Due.
b. with pres. pples., as triple-barking, -flashing.
1733. Swift, On Poetry, 214. To Cerberus they give a sop, His *triple-barking mouth to stop.
1903. Daily Chron., 27 Feb., 7/7. A light vessel, say one showing a ten-mile range *triple-flashing red light.
Hence (nonce-wds.) † Triplefold adv., triply, threefold; † Triplewise adv., in a triple manner.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 36/1. To these is gyuen pardon from the Pope, double and triplefold more, then to any other good worke of charitie.
1594. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, V. i. Ganges … Whose wealthy streams may wait upon her [Troy’s] towers, And triple-wise entrench her round about.
